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AN ADDRESS, 

DELIVERED BEFORE 

THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FREEMEN, 

ON TKE SUBJECT OF 

CANADIAN INDEPENDENCE : 



March 24th, 1841. 



BY AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. 



N E.\A/ HAVEN i 

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY WILLIAM STORER, JUN. 
1841. 



\ Price 3 cents single— ^2 per hundred. Any person sending $1 to the printer, 
^ free of postage, will receive 50 copies. 



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ADDRESS. 



The recent union of the Canadas under one government, by- 
British authority, ought to interest every American. Were it the 
spontaneous choice of our northern brethren, nothing could be 
rightly said against it ; but when the Canadi&ns are compelled to 
be brought under a central government, formed for them in Eu- 
rope without their consent, it is a right which belongs to every 
American, to express his opinion of the probable consequences to 
the people who are to be thus governed, and the consequences to 
to the neighboring States who must daily come in contact with 
them. 

The Canadians can view themselves in no other light than as 
a conquered nation — originally planted by the French, and con- 
quered by the British, and held in subjection by British bayonets. 
At this very moment, there are more than twenty thousand sol- 
diers in the Canadas under British pay, and commanded by Brit- 
ish officers. These soldiers are now acting the same part in 
Canada, that a similar body acted in former years in Boston. 
They are the tools made use of to keep the Canadians in subjec- 
tion to British bondage, and prevent the will of the majority 
from being freely expressed. The same power is attempting now 
to hold Canada in subjection, that attempted in former years to 
hold France as an appendage of the British empire, and another 
Joan de Arc may arise to hurl defiance to the British power. 

There are many reasons why the Canadians should be free, and 
there are many reasons also why the United States should be wil- 
ling to contribute largely towards that object. The border diffi- 
culty alone should induce every American to wish to abolish Brit- 
ish power in America. 

It is in the memory of not very aged persons, what constant bor- 
der difficulties existed between Spain and the United States, pre- 
vious to the cession of Louisiana in 1804. The diplomatic cor- 
respondence previous to that event, between the ministers ot the 
two nations, is largely occupied with complaints of border aggres- 
sions. Mr. Jefferson had sagacity enough to foresee that the least 



4 

expense to the United States was to purchase the foreign right and 
set the inhabitants free ; and now those Spanish subjecls join in 
the celebration of Washington's birth day, with as much delight 
as though they had been originally his own countrymen. Now 
it is matter of history, that Washington died before the political 
freedom of the Louisianians was born. In celebrating^ the birth 
day of this great man, they celebrate the birth day of political lib- 
erty. But while the Louisianians are rejoicing in their present 
liberty, effected whhont bloodshed by the good old thirteen States, 
the unfortunate Canadians — themselves, some of them, fellow la- 
borers with Washington — are still doomed to wear the bad^e of 
foreign bondage, and can not join their brethren of Louisiana in 
celebrating the birth day of Liberty. 

Louisiana cost the old States fourteen millions of dollars, 
which sum has been amply repaid by the extended commerce, 
besides being a saving of a much larger amount, that would have 
been expended in warlike preparations and military defences. 
The lands which were ceded were no particular gain to the old 
States ; they are a common stock, of which Louisiana receives 
her sh^re, as she does also of the other lands of the Union. Can- 
ada would be received into the Union upon the same conditions, 
and it ought to be the business of the statesmen of the present 
day, to purchase of Great Britain all her right, title and interest 
to the Canadas, and, if necessary, pay a hundred millions of dol- 
lars. It had better be paid than to suffer the British to domineer 
any longer in this hemisphere ; and that American statesman who 
dares be bold enough to propose the purchase and to prosecute it 
to its successful termination, will merit and receive his country's 
honors, and fix his name upon that escutchion of fame which 
keeps in remembrance those who have done good to their fellow 
men. 

Do you not see that England is striving with all her might to 
erect a great northern power in America, commanded by a vice 
gerent of a British king, and so moulded into form that it can at- 
tack these States at his Bidding ? 

Philip of Macedon was on the north of the Grecian States. He 
and his son succeeded in destroying Grecian Liberty, when the 
people of Macedon, had they been free to choose, would have pre- 
ferred a. closer union with their southern neighbors. Every 
school-boy, who reads the orations of Demosthenes, wishes that he 



!iad lived in those times, that he might join in the cry of Uberty 
which that great patriot raised. But you have in these times a 
p-reater enemy to liberty, than either Philip or Alexander. Join 
then, for your country's salvation and your ov/n, the general cry of 
liberty and freedom, and bev/are of those who are crying "peace, 
peace, when there is no peace. " — Canada must be free to choose 
her own rulers, or we shall be involved in constant war. 

The last war with Great Britain cost this country more than 
a hundred million of dollars, and v/e may safely calculate that as 
often as every thirty years, we shall have a war with this power, 
which will cost at least as much ; so that in a pecuniary point of 
view the purchase vi^iil be a saving to the nation. 

The philanthropist would wish the purchase, to prevent the 
shedding of human blood. The people of the States can have 
no desire to kill the CanadiaDS, neither can the Canadians have 
any desire to kill their brethren of the States ; but if they are set 
on by a foreign power, they are obliged to fight against their will. 

The boundary, as it now exists, commences in the East at a- 
bout 45 degrees of North latitude, and runs thence northerly a- 
bout three degrees to latitude 48, or thereabouts ; thence it con- 
tinues westerly and south-westerly, until it again reaches the lat- 
itude of 45 degrees ; thence westerly to the St. Lawrence. Here 
is a distance of about ?'00 milesj with no natural separation be- 
tween the two states. The inhabitants on the borders hardly 
know whether they are free born Americans or British subjects. 
The boundary then continues through the middle of the St. Law- 
rence and the Lakes, southwardly and south-west, to about the 42d 
degree, — a distance of about 500 miles ; then northwardly and 
north-west to 49 degrees 30 minutes, a distance of 800 miles ; 
thence on the last parallel, due west, to the Rocky Mountains, a 
distance of 900 miles ; thence northerly and north-west to 55 deg.. 
a distance of 500 miles ; thence due west to the Pacific Ocean, 
about 400 miles, — making the whole distance of the boundary 
between the two governments at least three thousand four hun- 
dred miles, and extending from South to North,- in a zigzag direc- 
tion, through thirteen degrees of latitude, from 42 to 55. So that 
in one place a man is an American citizen at 55 degrees north ; 
while at another meridian he must travel south until he comes to 
42 degrees, before he can claim that privilege. Here is a bonnda- 
i'y line that will always create disturbances, and the only wa,y to 



6 

prevent it is to unite the two governments, the same that England 
and Scotland were united, and the union will produce the like 
happy results. 

The greatest cause of difficulty on this extended line will be / 
smuorfflino;, while it is under the control of the British. The rev-' 
enues to support our national government are derived from im- 
posts on foreign commerce. To weaken this arm of our national ■ 
strength, the British Government encourage smuggling ; and 
their writers publicly avow that they will maintain possession of 
Canada, if for no other purpose than to force their manufactures 
into America through this extended frontier. 

By this smuggling business a constant hostility will exist upon 
the lines, between the smuo-Mers and the officers of the customs. 
The American officers will seize the goods ; — persons in interest 
will retaliate, and the feuds of the borderers will be justified by the 
home government, because their great hold upon Canada depends 
upon exciting animosity between the Canadians and the States. 
But with all their management, this hold can not last. Canada 
is destined to be free, and Canada will be free, and it becomes the 
duty of their brethren of America to assist them in their freedom, 
without fearing the power of Britain. 

Any one, who has noticed the mutations of the kingdoms of the 
earth, mast have perceived the destruction and. overthrow of the 
largest empires has often been brought about by apparently tri- 
.fling means. We are not to wonder then, if some occurrence 
trivial in itself may overthrow the mighty power of England, and 
leave that people to their legitimate government,— the British 
Isle. ^ 

England has governed Canada for seventy-eight years, and now 
claims perpetual dominion; France was the mother country, 
and first planted the colony, and held dominion from 1534 to 
1763, a period of two hundred and twenty-nine years, and would 
probably have continued their government much longer, had not 
the British colonies united v^rith their mother country to destroy 
the power of France on account of the border troubles. Whenev- 
er nations have planted colonies, they have been able to govern 
them for a season, until the colonies were able to govern them- 
selves—but whenever a people have been conquered by a foreign 
government, the people thns conquered have uniformly driven out 
their foreign invaders. History is replete with instances : a few 



will suffice to illustrate the subject. The Carthagenians conquer- 
ed Spain, and occupied it for many years, and were finally dispos- 
sessed of it when their power was at its greatest height. The 
Romans in turn brought Spain under bondage, and held it in ser- 
vitude for several centuries. The Moors held possession of this 
same country for more than six hundred years. They established 
the seat of their empire at Cordova, and intrenched themselves be- 
hind the ramparts of a fascinating religion and a splendid monar- 
chy, and strengthened themselves by their alliances v/ith many 
powerful states ; and yet after they thought themselves so firmly 
fixed in power that nothing could disturb their authority, a daring 
adventurer from the mountains made their empire tremble, and his 
successors finally drove these foreign invaders back to the country 
they came from. And shall it be said that the Canadians, who 
are free born Americans, have less courage than those rude moun- 
taineers of Spain ? 

I might go on in multiplying instances where the people of a 
country have driven out their foreign invaders, and every country 
would supply materials. Sufficient is recited to prove that the 
independence of Canada must and will take place ; and as Amer- 
icans we ought not to sit calmly by and see a part of them mur- 
dered while the process is going on. Because the treaty making 
power thought proper to run such aline of boundary in the closet 
at Paris, from an imperfect map some sixty years ago, does it fol- 
low that we must be bound by it in all future time ? The B. Msh 
Commissioners, in forming the treaty of 'S3, desired to make thd" 
boundary line between the British possessions and the American 
States, the center of the Ohio river from Pittsburg to the Missis- 
sippi, and that vast and fertile country which is now one of the 
fairest portions of free America, would have been subject to a Brit- 
ish Governor. Our present worthy chief magistrate, and many of 
the bright stars of the present government would now be British 
subjects ; and for the inhabitants on the eastern side of the Ohio 
to assist them in their efibrt to freedom, according to the doctrine 
of some, would be little less than treason. 

The State of New York by their assembly resolved that the 
boundaries of that State extended north on their western limits to 
latitude 45 degrees, including the whole of Lake Ontario. The 
treaty making power conveyed about half the State of New York 
to the British, and now the citizens of one part of the State which 



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is free, must not assist the citizens of another part to regain their 
freedom. 

Most of that peninsula v/hich is now called the London district, 
was included in the original charter of Biassachiisetts, — a district 
capable of being one of the noblest States of this Union. The 
treaty making power placed it on the British side of the boundary*, • 
and the children of those holy men who obtained that charter of 
the British monarch at so great price, are not allowed now to as- 
sist their brethren to that freedom which is their birth risfht. 

The Louisianians aad the Canadians are many of them descen- 
ded from the same French families— the blood of those Franks 
flows in their veins, who formerly drove the Roman legions from 
Gaul, and more recently expelled the English from France. The 
former -are not now allowed to assist the latter, although bone of 
their bone and flesh of their flesh. 

An eminent American writer of the last century says, " The 
world may politically, as well as geographically, be divided into 
four parts, each having a distinct set. of interests. Unhappily for 
the other three, Europe by her army and by her negotiations, by 
force and by fraud, has in djiferent degrees extended her dominion 
over them all. Africa, Asia, and America, have successively felt 
her domination. The superiority she has long maintained has 

tempted htn: tcr plmn^ herse^lf as^-tli e mia tr ca a-of-tlto-vrxn-lT?^ xm^ to^ 

co\jLs''der the rest of mankind as created for her benefit. Men, ad- 
^mired as profound philosophers, have, in direct terms, attributed to 
her inhabitants a physical superiority, and have gravely asserted 
that all animals, and with them the human species, degenerate in 
America — that even dogs cease to bark after having breathed a- 
while in our atmosphere. 

Facts have too long supported these arrogant pretensions of 
Europe. It belongs to us to vindicate the honor of the human 
race, and to teach that assuming brother moderation. Union will 
enable us to do it— disunion will add another victim to its tri- 
umphs. Let Americans disdain to be the instruments of European 
greatness ; let the thirteen States, bound together in a strict and 
indissoluble union, concur in erecting one great American system, 
superior to the coiitrol of all transatlantic force or influence, and 
aBle ro dictate iKe'.t;ei'ras of t.ho connexion between the old and the 
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